


of a fortunate mistake

by viperbranium (ViperSeven)



Series: NWY Anthology - Backer Rewards ficlets [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, M/M, Matchmaker Natasha Romanov, Modern Bucky Barnes, Shrunkyclunks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 06:44:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13921557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViperSeven/pseuds/viperbranium
Summary: After a few instants, Captain Rogers says, “This is a SHIELD safe house.”He says it matter-of-factly, and sounds exactly like someone who’s starting to realize they’ve made a mistake, and who’s hoping that if they state their words dryly enough, like they believe them, that’ll make them true. Bucky’s abs hurt from holding back the laughter.





	of a fortunate mistake

**Author's Note:**

> I kept promising I'd post these to Ao3 so you guys could have easier access to them, so... it was time I actually did.  
> I'll post the rest during the next few days :D

Out of all the weird shit Bucky’s had to put up with in his life, getting knocked to the ground in the middle of the night _inside his own apartment_ might be the winner.

One second he’s stumbling in the dark to get some water, and the next one he’s lying on his back and there’s a huge man towering over him, combat boots bracketing his hips and some sort of weapon, big and blunt and heavy, digging uncomfortably into Bucky’s sternum.

Bucky grunts and balls his hand into a fist, bracing himself for the fight. One-armed or not he’s spent the last two years working his ass off to beat some sort of normalcy back into his life, and if this fucker thinks he can fuck up his sleeping pattern again he’s in for a surprise. Then the man speaks.

“Stand down, soldier,” his attacker says, voice deep and full of command, and _oh_.

Bucky knows that voice. He knows what the round, heavy object the man’s using to pin him down is. He cracks up.

“Captain America,” Bucky greets him, and maybe he should be a bit surprised himself that a national icon just broke into his house, but right now he’s mostly relieved, and, if he’s being honest with himself, this is far from the strangest thing that has happened to him. Besides, he can just picture the confusion on the man’s face, and that makes everything even more hilarious. “Welcome to my humble abode. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

After a few instants, Captain Rogers says, “This is a SHIELD safe house.”

He says it matter-of-factly, and sounds exactly like someone who’s starting to realize they’ve made a mistake, and who’s hoping that if they state their words dryly enough, like they believe them, that’ll make them true. Bucky’s abs hurt from holding back the laughter.

“Sorry to disappoint you, pal, but this is my apartment,” Bucky tells him, patting his calf. Captain America doesn’t move. “You guys might wanna fire whoever gave you that intel.”

That seems to remind the man of something, and Bucky, still lying atop his ugly, old carpet, watches as he reaches up to his earpiece. A moment later a woman’s voice comes through.

“You there yet, Rogers?” she says. Bucky knows that voice too.

Natasha Romanoff had walked into his coffee shop a few years ago, talking to someone on her phone in Russian as she waited in the line. When it was her turn, Bucky’d also greeted her and taken her order in Russian. She had smiled, and she’d kept coming.

A couple hours after the Avengers had saved the city she’d paid him another visit, gorgeous even while sporting a few cuts and bruises, and still wearing her suit. “Long day, huh?” Bucky’d teased. Natasha had only smirked.

Bucky likes to think they’re sort of friends.

Right now, Bucky could swear Natasha sounds mighty well pleased with herself. Captain America must think so as well, because he groans and finally takes a step back, offering Bucky his right hand to help him stand.

“Where _the hell_ did you send me?”

“Hey!” Bucky protests jokingly, moving to turn the light on.

“Chill, Rogers. Barnes’ place is probably as safe as any SHIELD facility right now. It’s not like anyone would look for you there…”

“I could’ve hurt him!” Cap counters, scandalized. Natasha chuckles.

“It’s okay, James is a strong guy.” Bucky can practically hear her smirk through the coms. “He could probably bench-press you, if that’s your thing. You do look like the kinky type.”

“Natasha!”

“I’ll leave you boys to it. Extraction is at 0900, Steve.”

Bucky hears the line disconnect, somewhere between disbelieving and thoroughly amused. He’s pretty sure he’s never told Natasha about his gargantuan crush on Steve Rogers, but he’s willing to bet that she knows anyway, and he’s not about to look this gift horse in the mouth.

The man is currently standing in full uniform in the middle of his living room pinching the bridge of his nose, a hint of delicious red coloring his cheeks after Natasha’s implication, and honestly, no matter what comes out of this, that woman’s getting free coffee for a lifetime.

“I’ve got some clothes you can borrow, if you wanna change out of that suit.” _Or no clothes. No clothes is good. They wouldn’t fit you anyway_.

“Yeah, that’d—” Captain America starts, and then cuts himself off when he finally looks up at Bucky.

And maybe this isn’t how Bucky would’ve liked to meet him, barefoot and shirtless and wearing a pair of pajama pants so old they’re see-through… but Natasha must’ve really known what she was doing, because the man takes a moment to very pointedly check Bucky out.

He drags his eyes slowly down Bucky’s body, and all the way back up, undeterred by the missing arm or Bucky’s messy hair or his two days’ worth of stubble—a stark contrast to the Captain’s perfect, clean-shaven look.

Cap clears his throat. “That’d be great, thank you,” he says, and fucking _bats his eyelashes at him_. Bucky thinks he might be having a stroke. “And sorry about Nat, she’s… dedicated to her cause.”

“It’s okay, you’re not her first attempt” Bucky smiles. “She tried to hook me up with Maria Hill before learning that I was as gay as sparkles on a unicorn.”

“I should’ve known this was a set-up.” Rogers smirks, eyes full of mischief. “I was thinking you went down too easily for a HYDRA agent…” And oh, he’s a cheeky little fucker. Bucky’s gone for.

“I'm half-asleep!” he protests. Captain Rogers laughs.

“Pleasure to meet you, Half-asleep, I’m Steve,” he says, a fond, slightly awkward smile on his lips as he holds out a hand.

Bucky groans and makes a show of rolling his eyes at him, but shakes it anyway. “Bucky,” he replies, smiling right back, and makes a mental note to check whether he can afford to get Natasha a car for Christmas.

**Author's Note:**

> Like I mentioned on tumblr, I'm not opposed to writing sequels for some of these, if you guys would like that & if the muse allows it, so feel free to ask for things or make suggestions :D
> 
> [[follow me on the tumblrs](www.viperbranium.tumblr.com)]


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